Noon.
Shin lay alone on the grassy lawn beneath the shade of a tree, hands folded behind his head. His eyes were half-closed as he leisurely enjoyed the gentle breeze brushing against his face. The mingled scent of grass, soil, and some unknown flowers lingered faintly in the air.
It was late summer, and though the sun hung high, it was not scorching. Clouds occasionally drifted across the sky, casting patches of cool shadow over the earth below.
Not far from him, on an open patch of ground, Kiba was roughhousing with a group of kids around the same age. Laughter echoed intermittently, though Shin didn't join in.
He was content with this moment of peace, something he had never experienced in his previous life.
"Hey! Shin!"
Someone called his name. Shin turned slightly. It was Kiba and the others.
"Shin! Wanna come play with us?!" someone shouted, waving him over.
"Forget it, he won't come," Kiba said, clicking his tongue with a hint of annoyance. "He's always like that," he added, glancing at his friends.
"Why is he always like that?" one of them asked, clearly familiar with Shin's aloof demeanor.
"That's just how he is," Kiba replied, half-exasperated, half-resigned. At first, he hadn't liked Shin's personality either, but over time, he got used to it.
"Let's just play. Ignore him."
Shin looked at the noisy children in the distance and curved his lips slightly in a silent smile.
Play hide-and-seek or ninja tag with a bunch of five- or six-year-olds? No thanks. He was perfectly fine observing from the sidelines. He didn't mind being excluded. To him, they were just kids. And besides, Kiba never really kept his distance anyway.
Time slipped by quietly until Shin noticed a blond-haired boy walking toward the group.
The boy wore a black short-sleeved top and white cropped pants. There was a swirl-like red pattern on his shirt, vaguely reminiscent of the Uzumaki clan emblem.
"What are you guys playing? Can I join too?" The blond boy smiled brightly, though his voice carried a trace of hesitation.
Kiba and the others paused. Except for Kiba, the other kids began whispering among themselves.
"Is that him?"
"What's his name again?"
"Uzumaki Naruto."
"My mom told me not to play with him."
"Mine too."
They weren't whispering exactly, but they weren't trying to hide it either. Their words reached Naruto's ears, and his smile slowly faded.
"You can join."
Huh? Everyone looked surprised. It was Kiba who spoke. Naruto's eyes lit up with joy.
"Kiba? Really?"
"But he's..." one of Kiba's friends began hesitantly.
Kiba pulled his friends aside and whispered something in low voices.
Naruto stood awkwardly by himself, not sure what they were talking about.
Soon, Kiba and the others returned with strangely mischievous smiles. Kiba's expression in particular was laced with mischief.
"Yeah, sure, you can play with us," Kiba said, flashing a grin that didn't feel quite friendly.
"Really?!" Naruto beamed, his happiness unmistakable.
"We're playing hide-and-seek. Since you just got here, you can be the seeker. Try to find us all," one of the kids added, smiling just like Kiba.
"Easy! I'll find every one of you!" Naruto thumped his chest with confidence.
That brat... Shin had been watching quietly, and it wasn't hard to guess what Kiba was thinking.
Such innocent cruelty, he thought. Still, he had no intention of interfering. Kiba wasn't the type to listen anyway, so Shin let them carry on.
"Alright, you stand here, close your eyes, and count to a hundred. No peeking."
"Okay, go hide!" Naruto eagerly shut his eyes and covered them with both hands.
"I'm starting now! One, two, three..."
The kids exchanged looks and giggled among themselves.
"No peeking!" Kiba warned again, then scattered off with the others, disappearing into the surroundings.
Soon, only Naruto remained in the open space, counting out loud.
Without the noise of the group, his voice stood out sharply, accompanied only by the soft rustle of wind passing through the leaves.
Shin gave the lone, golden-haired boy one final glance before closing his eyes and drifting off to sleep.
"Ninety-seven, ninety-eight, ninety-nine..."
"Ready or not, here I come!" Naruto shouted, opening his eyes.
The sudden brightness made him squint. He looked around at the empty clearing, grinned, and whispered to himself
"Here I go."
...
Elsewhere, Kiba and the others had regrouped.
"Kiba, your idea was genius. When he realizes he can't find us, he's gonna be so mad!"
A boy laughed, and the others joined in.
"Of course. Don't you know who I am?" Kiba said smugly.
"This way, my mom won't scold me for playing with him."
"Same here."
"We should still avoid him, though. If my mom finds out, she'll flip."
Their chatter continued.
Kiba remained silent. His mother hadn't warned him about Naruto like the others' had. He knew Naruto wasn't popular with the kids, though he never quite understood why. But eventually, he'd joined in pushing Naruto away too.
"Why don't our moms want us to play with him?" someone suddenly asked.
"She said he's a monster," one boy replied.
"My mom says he brings bad luck."
"My mom said he'd eat me." A tiny, timid boy added in a whisper.
Kiba rolled his eyes. A kid the same age as them, eating people? He didn't buy it. But he, too, was curious.
"Whatever, let's go home," Kiba said abruptly, irritation in his voice. Without another word, he turned and walked off alone.
The others fell silent. Kiba had a certain authority among them, and soon they all dispersed.
On the way home, Kiba felt like he'd forgotten something, but he couldn't quite place it.
Huh?
Near his house, he spotted a small white puppy crouched by the gate.
As he approached, the puppy looked up at him with drooping ears and gave a soft whimper.
It was still small, likely just weaned.
Whose dog is this? Kiba stared down in confusion.
"His name is Akamaru."
He looked up and saw his mother and sister standing at the doorway. Beside them were Kuromaru and the other dogs.
"From today on, he's your responsibility," said Tsume, arms crossed as she leaned against the doorframe.
Akamaru? Kiba blinked in surprise and looked down at the little white puppy again.
"This... is my dog?" he murmured, reaching out cautiously.
Akamaru licked his palm with a warm little tongue.
It tickled.
Kiba felt something stir in his chest. A smile tugged at his lips.
"I'm Kiba. Nice to meet you, Akamaru."
"Ruff!" the pup barked cheerfully.
Kiba picked him up with delight and held him above his head only for Akamaru to promptly pee on his face.
"Seriously?! You little!" Kiba wiped his face in disbelief, part annoyed, part amused.
Tsume burst out laughing. Hana smiled beside her.
"By the way, Kiba, where's Shin?" Hana asked suddenly. "Did he go home already?"
"Huh? Shin?"
Oh no. Kiba froze. He just remembered Shin was still napping under that tree.
"Shin... uh... yeah, he went home already," Kiba replied, stammering a little as he faced his mom and sister.
"Is that so?" Hana sounded unconvinced.